


AU - Intelligence

by Aria6



Series: A Coyote's Stories [42]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Gen, Post-Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-03-29
Packaged: 2018-03-13 01:51:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3363332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria6/pseuds/Aria6





	1. Chapter 1

Starrk idly read the book on nutrition and lifestyle, his mind very far away. The science of it was interesting and he had a very good mind, but sadly, the subject was no longer pertinent to his daily life.

"OI! Starrk! Where are you?" A voice called from the bottom floor and he sighed, glancing out the window. He was sitting in a large, ruined window, his body exposed to the elements as he fitted himself to the shape of it. The cold didn't bother him and he felt no aches and pains, so it was extremely comfortable and gave him a beautiful view of the gardens.

"Up here!" He called, setting his book aside. Really, it was a silly thing for him to be reading. Unfortunately, the library had been burned to the ground in the chaos. Perhaps he would check out the high school soon. Then he looked up as his young daughter ran into the room.

Lilinette was a lovely girl, in her father's eyes. She was slender and athletic, moving with the grace of a young gazelle. Her clothing was too skimpy, in his opinion. A tube top that revealed both her shoulders and her belly, it would have shown her naval piercing, if she'd still had it. She was also wearing extremely tight shorts. Starrk considered it for a moment before letting the whole thing pass. It wasn't as if he had to worry about dirtbag boys anymore.

"Starrk, we have to do something! The humans are killing the pluses!" She shouted at him and he blinked.

"…Why do we have to do something about that?" He asked after a moment. His daughter gave him a dirty look.

"They're all helpless! And you have all that stuff you swiped from the police station. Come ON Starrk, we need to help!" He frowned, rubbing his chin. He was still disinclined to do anything. What did it matter to him if the pluses were slaughtered? He didn't need to eat them. In fact, he preferred to eat the screamers and howlers. There always seemed to be an endless supply of those. And if that well dried up, he could always go back to the old standby… hunting. Animal flesh served them reasonably well. It was hard to see why he should – "STARRK!" A fist hit his head and he winced.

"Stop being a brat." He said severely and she scowled at him but didn't press her luck any further. "You know, Lilinette, just because someone is helpless does not mean they deserve to be rescued." He'd learned that the hard way. Her scowl became more intense.

"But they're not bothering anyone Starrk! They just wander around and talk to each other! Come on, we should do something." She insisted and Starrk sighed, glancing at the ceiling. Perhaps she was right. Humans regarded them all as monsters but perhaps it was time to introduce them to the different gradations of monsters.

Shrugging to himself, Starrk went to gather his equipment. Full body armor, tear gas and flash grenades. Riot gear, not meant to kill but definitely meant to mess with anyone's day. And the humans would not in the least be expecting intelligent, armed resistance.

The whole thing went pretty much the way he thought it would. The humans were in the process of massacring a group of pluses who had congregated around the old railway station. Perhaps that had something to do with the attack… were the humans attempting to reopen the rails? Starrk didn't know and didn't care. Lilinette was right, the carnage was unnecessary. The pluses could simply have been shooed out of the way, if the humans had known how. Instead they had attacked and the smell of blood was maddening the stupid things, causing them to react violently.

Starrk quickly took action. His flash grenades and tear gas took the humans entirely by surprise. Along with the terror and rage of the pluses, things suddenly went badly for them. Starrk grimaced a bit as a human went down screaming, teeth and hands tearing at him.

"They deserve it." He told himself. Really, killing these creatures was unnecessary. But that meant he needed to put the second phase of his plan into effect. Fortunately, the tear gas affected the pluses just as much as the humans, which limited the human casualties. Starrk was wearing protective gear but still seemed human. That let him get close in the cover of the chaos and he was able to pick out the human he suspected was the leader. He was coughing and struggling to give orders as the tear gas assaulted him.

The next flash grenade caught the man entirely by surprise and Starrk was glad to see he was reeling from the effects but had taken no real damage. Starrk brought him down, knocking the gun out of his hand and trapping his wrists behind him. The man tried to resist but his strength was no match for the being holding him. Starrk was no longer human, although he looked like it.

Starrk quickly snapped the cuffs in place. He could feel the man's shock as he was lifted up as easily as a bag of straw. He began to run, carrying the man off and could hear shouts behind him.

"Shunsui!" He heard a gun go off and began to zig and zag in an old, familiar way. He knew this, knew how to make it harder for him to be hit by gunfire. Not impossible, of course. There were more shouts but no more bullets. Likely they were afraid of hitting the man he was carrying. Starrk quickly vanished into the woods. If they had any sense, the humans wouldn't follow.

The howlers and screamers would be attracted by all the bloodshed. Soon, the scavengers would arrive to feast.

* * *

"Let me go!" Shunsui demanded, trying to kick the man carrying him. He might as well have been kicking a brick wall. Growling, he fixed his gaze onto nearby pale skin. There were a few gaps in the body armor. He tried to bite –

And cried out in pain as he was slammed against a nearby tree. A hand went around his neck, choking him with casual ease. He looked into grey eyes and saw no malice there, just calm intelligence.

"Did you just try to bite me?" The stranger asked and Shunsui glared at him. "…Fool. You haven't figured out what I am, have you?"

"What?" Shunsui felt confused. "You're human." That was obvious. Although why a human would be attacking his fellow humans… and how was he living out here in the first place? All the surviving humans were living in various enclaves, surrounded by heavy walls. The man across from him laughed.

"Not in the least. And while I don't recall it being tried before, I imagine ingesting zombie blood would be a very effective method of transmission." He said and Shunsui felt his mouth sag open. "Enough. We have to keep moving." And he was flung over the man's shoulder again, his shoulder digging painfully in his stomach. Shunsui squirmed, trying to find a way to win free, but this time he didn't try to bite. If the man was telling the truth that would be a spectacularly awful idea. They broke out of the woods and he turned his head, seeing a dilapidated barn. It was badly worn from the elements, the formerly red paint peeling in long strips.

"Oi, you got one!" He blinked and directed his gaze down, seeing a girl. She had green, obviously dyed hair and strangely pink eyes. "Hey, he's cute too! You want to fuck him?" Shunsui felt absolute shock, followed by horror. Could zombies even DO that?

"I… you infernal brat! Go to your room!" The man holding him ordered sharply and she just rolled her eyes as he shoved past her, carrying him into the barn.

"We're not home dumbass. I don't have a room – OW! Starrk!" Shunsui grunted as he was dropped onto a bale of hay and immediately shoved himself up, seeing the girl fending off an annoyed man who was giving her a noogie. "Stop it! That's child abuse! I'm calling CPS!"

"Good luck. I know what you'll get at the end… hhrrrowIeeeelpyoooouuuu?" He did a very good imitation of a zombie's groan and the girl laughed. "And just for the record, no, I don't want to fuck him."

"Really? Is your willy not working? I wondered about that – OW! STARRK STOP IT!" She squirmed in his grasp and Shunsui noticed something he'd missed before… the incredibly ugly scar on her belly. It looked like someone had bitten her and torn out a chunk of flesh, right where her belly button should have been. It had healed, after a fashion, but it looked very strange. "Are you going to talk to this guy or what?"

"If I must." The man let go of the girl before looking at him. Shunsui stared at them both before glancing around. Unfortunately there appeared to be only one exit from the barn and they were blocking it. "My name is Starrk. This is my daughter, Lilinette." He introduced the girl and Shunsui felt like his brain cells might be frying.

"Wait, zombies can have children?!" That was… the man stared at him blankly as the girl laughed.

"I highly doubt it and she is too old in any case. She was my daughter before we were turned." The man said patiently and Shunsui blinked as he realized that was right. It had only been three years since the zombie apocalypse and the girl had to be at least ten, probably twelve. "I only interfered in your efforts because she insisted. I'm still not certain why."

"OI! The pluses are all dumb and helpless. They don't say things like, your daddies a murderer and a pervert and you're both going to hell. They don't tell you you're ugly and stupid. They just stand around yawping like dumbasses. And Christy's one of them and her face is half rotting off. Not so pretty now, bitch!" Lilinette said cheerfully and Starrk sighed, running a hand over his face. Shunsui frowned, looking at the girl.

"Your daddies a murderer?" He repeated. That was the only part he didn't really understand. Starrk grimaced, lowering his hand.

"I am a veteran of the conflicts in the Congo. I was a sniper and very good at it. I only requested a discharge when her mother died and it became necessary for me to take over raising her." He said and Shunsui nodded slowly. Somehow, he could easily picture this man with a high powered rifle, picking off enemies with cold blooded skill. "Unfortunately, this is… was… a rather anti-war area of the country. No one said it to my face but children absorb these things when adults speak around them too carelessly."

"Ah." That did make sense. "So what do you want with me?" That as rather a burning question. The man across from him sighed as the girl frowned and looked at the door.

"Nothing. I will give you information, then return you to your people." Starrk said and Shunsui blinked. That sounded utterly bizarre. "We are both zombies. As you can see, however, we are not like the others. Let me explain." Starrk glanced over his shoulder with a frown and Shunsui wondered what he and Lilinette were sensing. Whatever it was he dismissed it, looking back. "There are many gradations of the… illness. The lowest are the most common. We call them howlers and screamers. They are the zombies that hunt constantly for humans and often turn on each other in cannibalistic fits." He said and Shunsui nodded. He'd seen that. "They are nearly mindless but possess some animal cunning."

"Next are the pluses." He tapped his fingers against his leg absently as he spoke. "They are somewhat intelligent and can speak, although only with extreme speech impediments – "

"What?" Shunsui looked at him in disbelief. Starrk smiled and made a long, groaning sound.

"Speed that up. What do you hear?" He asked before doing it again. Shunsui's eyes narrowed as he tried to make it out. Could that really be words? It took several tries but then he could hear it. _How may I help you?_

"Zombies actually talk to each other?" He said, his mind cushioned by shock. The girl snorted.

"That's all they do! Pluses don't even feed, not really. They just wander around and don't do much." She said and Starrk nodded.

"Often pluses will haunt a location that meant a great deal to them in life. Like the librarian that continues to tend the library, forever. However, if they do not have a place they feel tied to they will find other pluses and form herds. They are not at all violent but if any member of the herd is attacked, the scent of blood will madden them and they will attempt to destroy the interloper. Like yourselves." Starrk's tone was dry and Shunsui swallowed. "However, getting rid of them is a rather simple matter… if you hit them with tear gas and flash bombs, you will irritate and terrify them without maddening them. Then the entire herd will leave, finding a better place to be."

"Oh. I see." He was starting to see why they'd wanted to talk to him. They were thinking of the 'pluses' but Shunsui's mind immediately went to his men. If they'd known it was that simple to get rid of the zombies around the train station, things would have been very different. "But what about you? What are you?"

"Starrk, we've got…" Lilinette said and he turned, frowning.

"I know." He said and Shunsui swallowed as he heard a scratching at the barn door. The handle turned and he was reminded that some zombies had enough brains to use them. A hideous, half-decayed face poked into the barn and lips peeled off teeth as it scented human flesh… but then Starrk almost shoved his face into the other zombies. His snarl cut through the air like a buzz saw and the monster yelped in what sounded like terror before scrambling away, yelping all the way. Starrk shut the door before turning back around. "That should get rid of them… now. Lilinette and I are what we call hollows. We believe the potential to become this kind of zombie may either be genetic or a mutation in the disease."

"Starrk and I were bit by the same zombie." Lilinette put in and Shunsui looked at her. "We're related though. So we're not really sure. We only know one other hollow and he's batshit crazy."

"Yes." Starrk rubbed his arm as if he was remembering something. "Hollows have full human intelligence. However, unlike pluses we must feed. We typically feed on the howlers and shriekers, but we can exist for a time on animal flesh. Human flesh… I honestly don't know but judging from scents, it would be delicious." Shunsui swallowed and Starrk flashed him a quick smile. "I don't know because I would never consider doing such a thing. However, other hollows may and just like howlers and screamers, we can scent you for long distances."

"Yeah, if you've ever had people just up and disappear without a trace it might've been a hollow. If you think about it, we're really scary. We're as strong and durable as zombies but smart and fast like people. If Starrk went all cannibal he'd be a nightmare." Lilinette put in and Starrk sighed.

"Yes, well, I'm quite well adjusted for a flesh eating zombie." He said dryly and she laughed. "Anyway. You are trying to reopen the railway tracks?"

"Yes, we are." Shunsui said cautiously, wondering if he should tell the other man even that much. Starrk shook his head.

"You will go through the blue one's territory." His expression was quite serious. "He is the other hollow I know and is quite insane. He's also extremely cunning and knows weapons well, but prefers knives over guns. That might be all that saved my life. He will move against you." Starrk sounded absolutely certain and Shunsui swallowed.

"You're gonna have to kill him. If you don't, sooner or later he's gonna bomb the railway tracks." Lilinette said and Starrk gave her a sharp look. "What? You said he's crazy territorial and likes to make things go boom! That's totally what he'll do!

"…She may be right." Starrk said with a sigh, rubbing a hand over his face. "But hunting him down… even for me, it would be daunting. For you humans it would be a nightmare. The shriekers and howlers would be after you constantly." Shunsui winced at the thought. "And you don't have my sense of smell. Hunting down a single zombie in the ruins might even be impossible."

"Well, yeah, but I'm just sayin' he's totally gonna do that." Lilinette said and Starrk shrugged helplessly. Something occurred to Shunsui but he didn't say it. Why would these two risk their lives to help humans? Yet, the whole thing would be so much easier if they had someone who could scent the other zombie at a distance. "We about done with this guy?"

"Yes, I think so – " Starrk said but then Shunsui interrupted.

"Kyoraku Shunsui." They both looked at him, surprised. "My name is Kyoraku Shunsui. Please, call me Shunsui." The two zombies exchanged a glance before Starrk nodded.

"I am Coyote Starrk and this is Lilinette Gingerbuck." He said, resting a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Are you about ready to be returned to your people?" He asked and Shunsui nodded. He wanted nothing more. Although…

"Can we please arrange a way to stay in touch?" He asked and Starrk frowned. "This barn… I can leave messages here, if you're willing to check regularly." Reaching the barn would be a bit of a pain – they would have to fight the rabid zombies – but it wasn't that far from the train tracks and he was sure he could find it easily. It was also the closest thing they had to neutral ground. Starrk and Lilinette exchanged a glance before the elder zombie nodded.

"Very well. I'll check this place every few days." He said and Shunsui felt relieved. "Let me remove the handcuffs." He stood and turned so Starrk could easily do that, then rubbed his wrists as he was freed. "Sorry about that. But you might have bloodied my nose and we do not heal without marks."

"Aw, your pretty face! Heh. Get him back Starrk, I'll met you at home." Lilinette said before leaving and Shunsui wondered where they lived. They would never show him that, though. This time he rode Starrk piggy back. The man dropped him off close to the train station, close enough that he could see his men through the trees, and pressed a gun into his hand before he left. Shunsui took a deep breath, holding his hands up before advancing out of the trees. This was the most dangerous part. Hopefully no one would be too trigger happy –

"SHUNSUI!" Ah, thank kami. Shunsui smiled as he spotted white hair. Soon he was surrounded by friends, talking over each other in their excitement. "Are you alright?" Juushiro examined him, looking for bites or other injuries. His relief when he didn't find any was obvious.

"I'm fine. But where's Yama-jii? I need to report." He had so much to tell them. How much of it they would believe, Shunsui didn't know, but they need to know about the existence of intelligent zombies.

Their lives might depend on it.


	2. Chapter 2

_Starrk, I know this is asking a great deal but can we arrange a meeting? There is something we need to discuss._

Starrk frowned at the note in his hand. He was checking the barn, just as he'd pledged he would do. This… was not terribly unexpected, really. The humans had to be having troubles with the blue one. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair and considered his options.

More than anything, he wanted to accept the meeting, hear what they had to say. Starrk knew that was because, deep inside, he wanted to reach out his hand. He wanted to trust and be trusted, be part of a community again. Before the apocalypse, he hadn't had many friends, but there had been a few. Mostly hunters like himself, they had shared a passion for the out of doors and pitting themselves against the elements. They were all gone, now. Only he remained and in some ways, it was a lonely existence. Lilynette was wonderful and he treasured her, but it was hard to be so alone.

Yet, he knew that trusting the humans verged on idiotic. Because they were human and he… was not. They would be tempted to put a bullet through his head as soon as his usefulness was done. And why not? He was just a zombie. Starrk grimaced at the thought. Yet… he could at least listen to them. He'd been teaching Lilynette to shoot and she could cover for him.

_Yes. I will come to the train depot in four days time. Be aware that my daughter can shoot and will be covering for me._ He placed the note, certain that Shunsui would find it before that. Then he left the barn.

He wanted to drill Lilynette a bit before the meeting could take place.

* * *

Starrk watched the humans going about their business. They were quite alert, which was understandable. Even with the walls they had erected around the train depot, they could easily suffer an attack. Reaching down, he pulled out his walkie-talkie.

"Are you ready? Over." He asked and received a quick reply.

_Yeah, get going. Over._ He smiled as he put away the equipment. He was lucky it still worked… the problem was the batteries. To be sure, there were plenty of them at the hardware store, but they did not necessarily survive well over time. Pushing himself to his feet, he took a deep breath before leaving the safety of the forest.

Starrk heard a shout but ignored it as he slowly, serenely made his approach. He put his hands in his pockets, emphasizing his non-violent intentions. Finally he paused, a decent distance from the wall, and just looked up at it. There were humans looking down at him and he could sense both curiosity and fear. No doubt they had all heard of the sentient zombies by now, but this would be their first time seeing one.

Starrk just waited patiently and soon enough, a small group came out to meet him. It was Shunsui, a white haired man who seemed surprisingly youthful for the color, and an old man who had clearly earned his grey hairs.

"Starrk! I'm glad to see you." Shunsui's friendly smile sent a pang through his heart, especially because he thought it was real. It was hard to say from such a brief meeting, but he thought the other man liked him. The white haired man's expression was more reserved and the old man was just unreadable. "How is Lilinette?"

"A complete pain in the ass, as always." Starrk said with a small sigh. "I regret that she will never grow up." At least, he assumed she wouldn't. He had no actual proof of that, but if she was growing the rate was extremely slow. She wouldn't be leaving home to go to college, though. "May I ask what you want of me?" Of course, he had a rather good idea. But he was uncomfortable here, beneath the eyes of so many humans. Many of them had their guns out, although they were not pointed directly at him, likely to be polite.

"First, what is your name?" The old man demanded and Starrk blinked at him, taken aback. He'd already – "We could find no record of you, although we found your daughter. Her birth record says her father is someone else."

"…Oh." Starrk sighed, rubbing his forehead for a moment. Of course they had encountered that. "I tried to change my name before I entered the army. However, it never quite went through. The government… It was a headache and I didn't follow up." It really hadn't caused him much trouble, except a bit of annoyance when Lilynette laughed at him. There was a choking sound from Shunsui.

"So… you're… Ferdinand Angelo De Santo… the Third?" He asked before bursting into laughter. Starrk glowered at him for a moment before shrugging, resigned.

"I decided to emulate Indiana Jones. Coyote Starrk was my dog, as a child." He admitted. The white man poked his friend as the old man shook his head. "I was not very close to my family." The horrible name had only been the tip of the iceberg. He'd been glad to leave home and join the army. "If you call me Ferdy I WILL kill you." He said sourly as Shunsui got a hold of himself. "Anyway, if you search under that name you should find my military records." If they had all that. Quite possibly they did, computers were reasonably durable.

"We already did. I simply wanted to be sure. A very impressive resume." The old man rumbled and Starrk nodded. "There were gaps, however."

"Classified missions. You understand." Some things could not be part of public record. "May I ask your name?" He said politely and the old man paused for a moment before responding.

"Before I retired, I was General Genryusai Yamamoto." Starrk blinked. He knew that name, although the old man's career had largely taken place before his time. He smiled before giving the man a crisp salute.

"Sir." He would not give respect to them for no reason, but this man had earned it. He chuckled before returning the salute. "What do you want from me?" He was already feeling easier in their company, even though he knew better than to trust so easily. Yet, he couldn't help but want to. Yamamoto quickly got to the point.

"One of our depots was bombed and there was a massive attack of the howlers and shriekers. We heard a very strange sound. We have a recording of it, if you wish to listen?" He said and Starrk nodded. That sounded odd. Juushiro pulled out a cell phone and touched the screen. The sound they were mentioning was a bit hard to hear over the screams and the sounds of bullets and Starrk's eyes narrowed before he grimaced.

"I didn't know he could do that." He admitted as all three of them looked at him. "It's… we call it the Siren's Call. Lilynette can do it, but I can't, and I've tried… it draws the howlers and shriekers to a location and lets the singer herd them. Stop the song and they will attack anything nearby." Starrk shrugged. "Lilynette discovered it when she was trying to shoo off some pluses." What had followed had been gruesome and she'd felt badly about it. But she really hadn't known what she was doing.

"Is there anything else you forgot to mention to us?" The old man said and Starrk arched an eyebrow. There actually were a few things, but…

"Forgive me, Yamamoto sir, but I am not your ally. I am, at best, a neutral party and a potential enemy. I will not reveal all of my abilities so easily." He said firmly and the old man grunted as the man with the white hair looked unhappy. Shunsui decided to try to sweet talk him.

"Starrk, I know it's hard for you to trust us. But we need your help. We're trying to reach another enclave and begin trade. Ultimately, we're trying to rebuild civilization." Shunsui said and Starrk frowned, rubbing his chin. He could see that. Yet, he wasn't sure it made any real difference for him.

"I sympathize, I truly do. But I have a daughter." He said after a moment. That was really the problem. If it had just been himself, he would have been more reckless, more willing to trust. But he always had to think of Lilynette's safety. "How can I trust you not to dispose of us when we are no longer useful?" They were zombies, after all.

"I would give you my word of honor." Yamamoto said and Starrk bit his lip. He knew, if it was just him, he would probably be accepting that right now.

"I… don't know…" He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I trust your word, sir. But I must discuss this with my daughter." Normally he would just make a decision for them both. Lilynette was still just a child, after all. But not with a decision of this magnitude. Then Shunsui spoke brightly.

"She's in the bushes, isn't she? Why don't you ask her to join us?" He suggested and Starrk hesitated. That, in and of itself, would be an expression of trust. Sighing to himself, he reached for the walkie-talkie at his belt.

"Lilynette? Could you join us? Over." He said, deciding he would take the chance. There was a pause before she spoke.

_What, you don't want me to cover for you anymore? Over._ She said and Starrk sighed before explaining.

"They're asking for more of an alliance. I need your input. Over." He said into the microphone and she responded quickly.

_Okay, I'm coming down. Over._ They waited patiently for her to arrive. It really didn't take too long, although his slight daughter looked rather odd with a combat rifle slung over her back. "What's up?"

"They would like us to help them…" Starrk briefly outlined the situation and Lilynette scratched her ear before looking at the men in front of them curiously.

"So what're you offering us?" She asked and Starrk blinked. That… hadn't occurred to him. It seemed he was a terrible negotiator. But his job at the sawmill had been unionized, negotiating had never been involved. Juushiro smiled at Lilynette, seemingly enchanted by her innocent directness. "And how much help are we talking, here? That blue guy is a nightmare! Right Starrk?"

"True." He admitted, glancing down at his arm. The scar there was huge. Shunsui caught the gesture.

"You mentioned you fought him. What happened? If you don't mind telling us." He asked and Starrk considered it a moment before shrugging.

"It was nothing that special. I took my car to the closest town in search of a proper generator. Ours broke and the ones at the hardware store were terrible. I was also looking for more fuel. When I was there I picked up a scent that was like my own and attempted to track it. I was lucky I am so alert… he attempted to ambush me." Starrk pulled back a bit of his sleeve, showing them the thick, keloid scar. "This was a bad wound, almost to the bone. He demanded I leave his territory and never return… I tried to reason with him but he only responded with more violence. Finally, I left." It just hadn't seemed worth the trouble. "I've been avoiding him ever since." That brief meeting had convinced him that the blue man was insane. Starrk wasn't sure if the transition had done it or if he'd always been crazy. "You want me to help you hunt him down?" That was fairly obvious, really.

"Yes. But more… we want you to join us." Yamamoto said and Starrk went still at the thought. They really…? "We need to understand your kind of zombie. You can be very useful and very dangerous." That was honest, at least. Starrk glanced down at Lilynette and saw she was both troubled yet hopeful. "Shunsui said you can survive on regular meat?"

"Uh, yes. We often eat deer although wild pig is preferable." They both liked it better and it seemed to satisfy them a touch more. Shunsui and Juushiro both looked pleased with that answer. "And we can always hunt down some howlers and shriekers, if necessary." Starrk thought it might be. He'd noticed that after eating deer for a while, he just had a yearning for some zombie meat. Pig had always been an occasional thing, so he wasn't sure about it. "…What do you think?" He asked Lilynette and she hesitated, glancing them over. Then she looked at him with troubled eyes.

"D'you think we can trust them, Starrk?" She asked and he hesitated before nodding.

"Yes, I do." He was willing to put his faith in General Yamamoto. He knew the old man, knew his reputation. "But do you want to do this?" He asked and she chewed her lip before nodding.

"Yeah… I mean, you're great and all but I'd like some friends my age." She said quietly and Starrk had to smile. That was exactly how he felt, really. "I know I probably won't make many, I'm a zombie, but there's probably someone right?"

"Yes." Starrk said before turning to look at the others. "We'll join you, sir." He said to Yamamoto. The old man nodded solemnly as Shunsui smiled at him. Starrk smiled back shyly. He wasn't going to admit it where Lilynette could hear, but he thought the other man was very attractive.

"Excellent. Please follow…" Staying close together, Starrk and Lilynette followed them back into the fortress. They could both feel curious eyes on them and hear soft murmurs from the humans manning the gates.

They were both afraid, but hopeful. They desperately wanted friends.

* * *

"So, Starrk!" Starrk looked up as a jar of alcohol was set in front of him. "Can you drink?"

"No, sadly." He gazed at the booze wistfully. "It makes me sick. I miss it, too." His happiest memories of the army had involved a great deal of alcohol. Glancing around, he felt a great deal of nostalgia. Rooms like this had also featured prominently in his happiest memories.

This was a military cantina. A kind of bar, but set up on the fly in combat conditions. A watering hole and a gathering place, it let the men and women socialize and let off a bit of steam. Despite his inability to drink, Starrk had gravitated to the place like iron filings to a magnet. Now that he was here, though, he was having trouble fitting in. Everyone recognized him as 'the zombie' and he was alone in his corner table.

"Well, we can drink it for you." Shunsui said cheerfully and Starrk smiled as Juushiro pulled up a seat. "I hope Mayuri wasn't too bad?"

"No, he fully respected our wishes." Likely because he didn't want a bite. The strange man had given them full physicals, remarking on their unusual vital signs. "He took blood and other samples, but nothing too invasive." Starrk watched as they poured themselves drinks, wishing he could participate. Although… "Could I have some water? I'll pretend it's beer." Then he could match them drink for drink and not feel alone. Shunsui laughed.

"Why not?" Juushiro agreed before signaling one of the barmaids. She was a bit surprised by a request for water but went to get it anyway. Soon Starrk had his mug and sipped, smiling to himself.

"So you're a veteran of the Congo?" Shunsui asked and Starrk nodded. "Can you tell us about it? It was after Yama-jii's day and I never served there. I've heard stories about it, though."

"Um…" Starrk doubted any of the stories he'd heard came close to the truth. "I have plenty of stories to tell… would you like to hear the one about the witch doctor, the cannibals or the incident that got me banned from the cantina for a solid month?" That had been the worst. He'd had to buy bootlegged beer from his buddies and then drink it by himself. It hadn't been the same. They both stared at him, taken aback.

"Cannibals? Real cannibals?" Shunsui wondered and Starrk nodded.

"They filed their teeth. The classic sign. I wasn't aware of what they were when I first met them. They were quite helpless and dealing with a nasty mudslide… I led my platoon to help them dig out many people who had been buried." Starrk couldn't help but feel wryly amused, remembering it. "They were very grateful. The meal they tried to feed us to celebrate was a bit awkward." Shunsui choked as Juushiro looked a little nauseated and Starrk grinned. "I tease… it was rat. Enemies were in short supply and they didn't eat their own tribe members."

"Oh, thank god." Shunsui said, relieved, and Starrk smiled. "What happened with the witch doctor?"

"Mmmm… I'll tell you after you tell me something. I know almost nothing about you. Were you military too?" Somehow, he doubted it. Shunsui shook his head.

"Not at all. Promise you won't laugh?" He said and Starrk quirked an eyebrow at him. "I was a romance writer. I made plenty of money helping middle-aged housewives cream their pants." He said it with perverse pride and Starrk had to hold back a laugh. That was highly amusing. He turned his gaze to Juushiro and the other man smiled, a touch wistfully.

"I was training to be a pilot." He said before sighing. "As useless as romance novels, now." He said and Starrk nodded sympathetically. "Even if we manage to take an airport and begin flights, we have two experienced pilots in our forces. They'll be in the air, not me. Ah well."

"There's not really that many actual military people around here." Shunsui commented and Starrk was a bit surprised. He was sure many of the other enclaves were fully military in nature. Civilian led ones were probably less common. "But then, you know how peaceful this place was. I think the nearest base was Fort McKinney." That was almost a hundred miles away. Starrk nodded.

"That's true. So mostly retirees, like Yamamoto?" He'd been retired. They both nodded.

"They've been useful forming us but they're all a bit long in the tooth. And fighting is a job for youngsters, as Yama-jii likes to say." Shunsui said with a smile and Starrk nodded. That definitely sounded right to him. "Now, witch doctor?" Starrk chuckled as he began telling his story.

Really, he had plenty of stories to share. It was a shame he couldn't drink but it still felt almost like old times.

* * *

"You know, I like you." Shunsui's gaze was very direct and more than a bit drunk. Starrk wasn't entirely sure what to say. 'I like you too' would be truthful but not, perhaps, wise. "Is Lilynette right?" He asked and Starrk had no idea what he meant.

"I'm sorry?" He ventured, glancing around. The cantina had a few people left, the latecomers and die hard drunks. Juushiro had left them some time ago to go to bed. Shunsui had stayed, sharing some amusing stories of his own.

"Does your willy work?" He asked and Starrk choked. He'd just…?! "I really want to know." Grey eyes met his and Starrk wondered if this was some bizarre method of flirtation. But the question… well, he did know the answer.

"Yes, it works." He said huskily. "I masturbate… sometimes…" It wasn't very satisfactory – he truly missed human contact and all his porn was very old. He hadn't found many new pieces. Shunsui chuckled, gripping his chin and Starrk watched wide eyed as the man slid a thumb over his beard.

"Mmm, good." Shunsui said before kissing him. Starrk savored the kiss even as alarm bells rang in his mind. Mayuri hadn't checked his semen and other bodily fluids for the zombie virus…

"Shunsui. This isn't a good idea." Starrk muttered, trying to control his raging libido. There were hands on his body… "Shunsui!"

"Why?" Shunsui almost pouted and Starrk tried to explain.

"I'm a zombie. Can you catch this from my semen, my saliva?" Starrk wasn't sure those transmission vectors would be enough, without actual blood contact. "I don't know…" For a moment Shunsui's eyes clouded with disappointment. But then he suddenly smiled.

"So, no more kisses on the lips? No penetration? I can do that…" He said and Starrk stared. He meant…? "Come with me." Shunsui said in a commanding tone, pulling him to his feet. Starrk didn't even think of refusing. He enjoyed being dominated in bed, it was a kink he'd had for a very long time…

Shunsui led him out of the cantina, through the darkened camp. Soon he was brought to a small, private room in the main hall, similar to the one he was sharing with Lilynette. As soon as they were behind closed doors, Shunsui was onto him. Starrk groaned as his throat was explored, blunt teeth nibbling him.

"No biting…" That would still be very hazardous. Was this a good idea? But then Shunsui spoke in his ear.

"I know." He said and Starrk couldn't hold back. He gripped the other man's shirt, shredding it with nothing but his fingers. Zombie strength… pants soon followed and the fell into bed together, grinding against each other like wild animals. To Starrk, the passion was intoxicating. It had been so long, so very long since someone had touched him this way. Starrk sucked on Shunsui's adam's apple, enjoying the way it bobbed as the man swallowed. Then he groaned, deep in his throat, as Shunsui gripped his erection, guiding it to his own and stroking them together. "Ah, god…" Shunsui sounded undone by the pleasure and Starrk gasped, his eyes wide.

The stroking quickly became feverish and Starrk reached up to claw the blue tie out of Shunsui's hair, letting it cascade around his face. That strong face, full of passion, framed by that warm brown hair… Starrk arched up into his hands, gripping Shunsui's shoulders with careful strength. Always, always he was mindful of his strength. He'd learned that lesson a long time ago.

" _Ah!_ " Starrk gasped as his orgasm suddenly came over him, filling his eyes with sparks. His hands clamped down on Shunsui's shoulders, a bit too hard, as the other man stiffened with a hoarse cry. Starrk felt their combined releases spilling over his chest and belly, warm vital fluids. Relaxing, he let go of Shunsui and saw him wince, faintly. "Oh, I'm sorry." He hadn't broken anything but there would be bruises. Warm lips brushed across his cheek and Starrk shivered.

"It's nothing. Ah god, you are so amazing…" Shunsui said and Starrk smiled, feeling warmed. His lover was drunk and might not feel the same in the morning, but for now he would take it. "Mmm, I'm tired. Will you stay?" He asked and Starrk stiffened a bit in surprise. Then he relaxed, gently cupping Shunsui's cheek.

"Of course I will." He wanted to stay, more than anything else. Shunsui's smile was beautiful and they settled in together, warm and happy.

Starrk had been alone for far too long. He didn't want to be alone anymore.


End file.
